By Oyewole Sarumi
I received the inspiration to write this piece based on an anonymous post that is currently going viral on WhatsApp platform.
So, is Retirement a cultural illusion? The word “Retirement” carries the scent of freedom, of morning walks without meetings, of vacations without deadlines, of rocking chairs and quiet afternoons.
It is pitched to us as a long-awaited prize for decades of diligence. But beneath this seductive image lies a sobering truth: many who retire early from their professions also retire prematurely from life itself.
This is not mere poetic exaggeration. It is a pattern woven through families, communities, churches, and boardroom, a quiet crisis often ignored.
Men and women, once pillars of purpose and productivity, disengage from their vocational rhythm and within months or a few years, begin to experience cognitive decline, chronic illness, loneliness, and sometimes, untimely death.
This article is not a manifesto against slowing down, resting, or changing careers. Rather, it is an argument for something deeper and more vital: the necessity of life-long contribution. The purpose of this article is to redefine what it means to retire, and to propose “redirection” as a more truthful, healthier, and more spiritually aligned alternative.
The Modern Myth of Retirement
The retirement age was first set in the 1880s by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck at 70, when the average life expectancy was 45. It wasn’t designed for the majority to enjoy. It was a political strategy to appease growing labor unrest without paying most workers a pension. The model was exported, adapted, and eventually mythologized in the post-industrial world as a reward system.
But we must ask: does this model still make sense in 2025?
- People now live well into their 80s and 90s.
- Many are healthier than ever at 65.
- Cognitive function, creativity, and decision-making skills often peak between 50 and 70.
Yet the narrative remains: hit 60 or 65, and you must wind down. Step back. Become less. Do less. Expect less.
This cultural programming ignores a fundamental truth about human nature: we were not designed to disengage. We were designed to grow, give, serve, and evolve. And where there is no purpose, there is decay.
Purpose Is Not Optional—It’s Oxygen
In psychology, Viktor Frankl, the Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, introduced the world to “logotherapy”—the idea that man’s deepest need is not pleasure or power, but meaning. A life without purpose is a life in slow decline.
Numerous longitudinal studies support this. A 2020 study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that individuals with a high sense of purpose had a 15% lower risk of death from all causes over a five-year period, even when accounting for wealth, health, and social status.
In Japan, where the concept of ikigai, one’s reason for being—is deeply embedded, regions with the highest number of centenarians (people over 100) are not necessarily the wealthiest, but the ones where elders remain active contributors to community and family life.
Compare this with retirees who, after leaving the workforce, experience sharp declines in mental health and vitality. The issue is not age—it is disengagement. Retirement, as currently conceived, is a surrender of purpose. And purpose, as it turns out, is non-negotiable.
Motion Is the Law of Life
Look to nature:
- Rivers flow or they stagnate.
- Trees grow or they die.
- Planets orbit or they collapse.
- The human body, when inactive, degenerates.
Every system in creation depends on sustained motion. And so it is with the human spirit.
The elderly apostle Paul, even while imprisoned and physically diminished, wrote letters that shook empires. Moses was 80 when he led Israel out of Egypt. Caleb was 85 when he demanded his inheritance. Jesus fulfilled his ministry within three years, but told His followers to “occupy until I come.”
Retirement, then, must be reframed not as a cessation but as a transition. One may step down from a job, but one must never step away from calling. You cannot retire from life. You can only redirect its energy.
The Dangers of Traditional Retirement
When retirement is treated as full disengagement, it brings unintended consequences—physical, emotional, social, and even spiritual.
- Mental Atrophy
The brain is a use-it-or-lose-it organ. Studies from the Alzheimer’s Association confirm that ongoing intellectual engagement significantly reduces the risk of dementia.
- Physical Decline
Retired individuals who lack structure and activity tend to exercise less, eat irregularly, and experience declining immunity. The National Institute on Aging emphasizes that activity, even more than age, determines vitality.
- Emotional Isolation
Many derive identity, community, and status from work. Retirement often dissolves these structures, leading to loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
- Spiritual Apathy
Disengagement often leads to loss of spiritual discipline. With no demand on the soul, even faith can become passive.
This isn’t to say rest is wrong. Sabbath is scriptural. But rest must be rhythmic and purposeful, not permanent and passive.
Section 5: The Alternative—Redirection, Not Resignation
So what should we do instead? The answer is not retirement but redirection.
Redirection is the deliberate choice to:
- Transition from profit-driven work to purpose-driven work.
- Shift from executive roles to mentorship and legacy-building.
- Move from organizational leadership to community, faith, or family service.
- Invest time in study, teaching, and storytelling.
Many retirees possess decades of wisdom, leadership, and life experience. Imagine what would happen if this capital were reinvested into mentoring the next generation, starting new social enterprises, guiding nonprofits, writing books, or simply being present where needed most.
Retirement can then become not an end, but an evolution.
Faith, Aging, and the Call to Keep Moving
From a biblical perspective, life is a continuum of stewardship. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 makes this clear: God expects fruitfulness, no matter the stage of life. He rewards those who multiply their gifts—not bury them in the ground, not even with good excuses.
Psalm 92:14 says of the righteous: “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” Isaiah 46:4 declares, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he who will sustain you.”
Purpose doesn’t retire. Calling doesn’t expire. As long as there is breath, there is assignment.
Even Jesus on the cross said, “It is finished”—but only after His work was done. Until then, He taught, healed, wept, walked, and served. His life was a model of purposeful motion, even in weariness.
What the Future of Work and Retirement Should Look Like
In today’s age of automation and AI, people are rethinking what it means to work. But retirement must also be rethought—especially as global populations age and pension systems become unsustainable.
The future of retirement must look like this:
- Flexible, project-based consulting and mentoring roles.
- Hybrid work for seniors using remote technology.
- Intergenerational teams where older leaders coach rising talent.
- State and private-sector incentives for purposeful senior engagement.
We must shift retirement from “ending work” to “redefining work.” Governments, churches, businesses, and families all have a role to play in this reframing.
Conclusion
:Make up your mind today to Choose Life, Not Retirement.
Retirement, as we know it, is not a reward, it can be a slow resignation from the very currents that give life its meaning. You cannot afford to retire, not because you must keep earning, but because you must keep becoming.
You were not made for stagnation. You were made for service. For stewardship. For motion.
So if the world tells you to retire, tell it: “I will redirect.”
Let your twilight years be filled not with regret, but with renewed mission.
- Write the book.
- Mentor the youth.
- Start the garden.
- Serve in your church.
- Launch the foundation.
- Keep reading. Keep growing. Keep praying.
Even the candle in its last inch must burn with dignity, casting light till its final flicker. Even at sunset, the sky still paints itself with glory.
To stop is to rust.
To rust is to rot.
And to rot is to die—before your time.
So keep moving.
That is the law. That is the way. That is life.
